Book Review: The Joy of Yarn

If you’ve every struggled with your stash—where to keep it, how to organize it, and most importantly, how to use it—look no further than The Joy of Yarn by Marie Greene. The subtitle says it all: “your stash solution for curating, organizing, and using your yarn—with 10 knitting patterns.” This book examines every aspect of why fibre enthusiasts keep stashes in the first place, and all the ways we can manage them better. Today we’re going to take a closer look at what you’ll find featured in the book, so read on to learn more!

Experience and Wisdom

Marie Greene has written three knitting-related books before this one, including Seamless Knit Sweaters in 2 Weeks. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and is also a knitting educator and independent knitwear designer. She is the founder of Olive Knits and Knit Camp and has worked with countless knitters from all walks of life. In The Joy of Yarn, she shares her expertise and strategies for how to deal with our yarn stashes. One of the most delightful aspects of the book is reading all the testimonials from knitters and crocheters who have been students in her Stash Sprint program, which shows how her tips really work.

Related: Meet Golden Peak Media’s Yarn Advisory Board Members

Greene begins the book with an introduction that shares her personal history with knitting, and her grandma Marie who kept yarn in plastic bags shoved into every spare bit of space she could find. And she shares how her own stash slowly got out of control, and how she came to develop a process for stash management that really works, without “yarn diets.” She then takes readers through some exercises to help show us just how much space our stash yarn takes up, and what the cost of that is. 

Steps to a Smarter Stash

The book includes eight steps towards having a stash that you can shop from, in essence your own little yarn store at home. The first steps have to do with figuring out what types of yarn you regularly use, and how that compares with what you tend to buy, and how to decide what should stay in your stash and what should be given away. Greene ultimately suggests organizing yarn by color, and in a visible way, though there are other options for people who don’t prefer to see their stash or who live in smaller spaces where this is not an option. There are also many great tips on how to reinvigorate your stash and maintain it over time.

The second part of the process is about how to choose yarns from your stash, and how having a well-organized stash at home can actually improve your experience of shopping and buying yarn, because you know exactly what you need. She then shares ten patterns that are designed to be “stash-busters.” Some of these provide a basic understanding of the color wheel and how to use complementary or analogous colors. Others strive to make leftovers look intentional, while the final patterns focus on holding two strands of yarn together, with all the marling and striping options this can provide.

So, if you’re looking for a better way to organize and manage your stash, or if you want some patterns that will help you knit through the stash you already have, The Joy of Yarn is the book for you! 

Have you read The Joy of Yarn? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Fairy Godfather knits and designs in Toronto, Canada. IG: @fairygodfatherknits

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